On account of the distress caused by the terrible floods which occurred last summer in the province of Sheng-ching, the export of certain kinds of grain was' temporarily forbidden, it being stated at the time that the prohibition would be removed as soon as the authorities were certain that the next harvest would be plentiful. For a short time, indeed, during the spring, corn was allowed to be sent from the one port of Chin-chou Fu to Shantung and Chibli, but this permission was afterwards withdrawn again, till it could be soon what the er might be like in autumn, The high auth ties ofthe province now reportthatduring the rummer the weather has been most favourable. Enquirieshave been made in the north, the east, and the south; and in every district, there is the promise of a most bounteous harvest of all sorts of agricultural produce. The price of grain is fifty per cent, less than what it was last year; and this fall is a sure indication of coining plenty. In the interests therefore of the people, of commerce, and of public revenue, the memorialists recommend that the exportation of all grain be freely permitted once more. With regard to Chin-chou Fu, and the western portion of the province, the memorialists have still to make enquiries, As soon as they have done so they will present a report dealing with that district, Rescript: Noted.
20th September.
YELLOW RIVER FUND IN SZECHUAN, The Viceroy of Szechuan reports' the amount of the contributions for the Yellow River Fund which he had received during two months last summer from persons desirous of acquiring titles or offices. These months are the sixteenth and seventeenth during which the sale of offices has been allowed, In the first of the two, receipts come to Tls. 1,208. Three contributors obtain a button of the lowest grade, six obtain literary licentiateships, two military licentiateships, one a titular clerkship of the lowest rank in the Han-lin Yuan, one a licentiateship with a button of a higher rank, one is made a real instead of an honorary official, and two, already official, are appointed to provinces, In the second month the contributions come to Tls. 770, the donors of the money being fifteen in number, and applying for licentiateships or buttons of lowest rank.
30th September.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.